


Titanomachy

by aye_of_newt



Series: From the Brink [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Updates on Mondays, and familial tensions, discussion of sensitive topics including but not limited to, mental health
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:28:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29970522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aye_of_newt/pseuds/aye_of_newt
Summary: Since leaving rehab almost five years ago, Klaus has built a peaceful life for himself, slowly recovering from the trauma of his childhood and the damage that Reginald's experimentation inflicted upon him.So, of course, by the nature of being a Hargreeves, that means it's time for everything to go wrong.After the unexpected death of Reginald, Klaus is called back to the Academy to face his siblings and confront the last piece of his past from which he has not yet healed. And, despite his best intentions, he is once again swept up in the life of a superhero⏤ something he thought he'd left behind for good.It's apocalypse week.
Series: From the Brink [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027756
Comments: 79
Kudos: 114





	Titanomachy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Pyrrhic victory (/ˈpɪrɪk/PIRR-ik): a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2,065th Anniversary of Julius Caesar being assassinated on the floor of the senate! It's the Ides of March everyone! A very auspicious day indeed. Perfect for the posting of this fic. 
> 
> I hope.
> 
> Anyway
> 
> I'm so excited to be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> It has been a whole five weeks since I last posted for this series and that feels so long ago but also the time evaporated like a cup of water left outside in the middle of Death Valley in August. 
> 
> In other words, this fic as a whole is less done than I'm used to a fic being before I post it. I think I can keep up the *one chapter a week* schedule, but if something happens I will let you know either in the notes or on [my tumblr](https://aye-of-newt.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Right now the upload plan is that the first nine chapters will be posted nine weeks in a row, followed by a mid-story break that should last about two weeks, and then I will be back to regular updates again. But hey, like I said, I let yall know if something changes. 
> 
> Also, I know I'm usually pretty consistent with what time I post. (Something I didn't really know people noticed until the wonderful and talented [KimbaSprite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KimbaSprite/pseuds/KimbaSprite) mentioned it) but I will be moving my updates to a slightly later time than usual by probably 7 to 8 hours. Ish. Or maybe later if it works out that way/I have an oops. I just had a schedule change so that time works better for me! Just so everyone knows what to expect <3
> 
> Anyway, I think we should be good on any trigger warnings this week other than Reggie dying (shock, I know) so without further ado, here is Titanomachy!

Klaus eased his boots off with a wince, letting them thump gently against the wooden floor of his apartment. He had definitely over-done it in class that afternoon and his legs ached with exhaustion. 

“God, I wish I had a bathtub,” Klaus complained to Ben, shuffling to the kitchen. 

“I’ve been saying for like a year that you could afford a bigger place,” Ben said, lifting himself up onto the counter while Klaus fished in the fridge for leftovers, too tired to be bothered making dinner. “Get a new apartment with a bathtub.”

“But I like this apartment,” Klaus protested around a mouthful of cold lo mein. 

Ben made a face at that. “Gross.” 

Klaus rolled his eyes, swallowing. “Then don’t watch me eat.”

“Or you could just not talk with your mouth full.”

“Then don’t talk to me when my mouth is full,” Klaus challenged, heading to the living room area and flopping down on the couch, slouching into the cushions. 

“Are you really that against developing manners?” Ben asked, trailing behind him.

“I’m just arguing that talking to me when I’m eating is entrapment. If you really don’t want me to talk to when my mouth is full then you would⏤”

Klaus was cut off by the ringing of his phone. 

He groaned, tipping his head back against the couch. “I just got home. I just _sat down,_ ” he whined. “And it’s all the way back in the kitchen.”

“That’s why you should focus on strengthening my corporeal form,” Ben nudged. 

“Would you get the phone for me if you could?” Klaus asked, peeling himself up as the phone rang again. 

“Nope.” Ben grinned. “As much as I’d like to talk to anyone else sometimes, I enjoy inconveniencing you too much.”

“I can feel the love.”

“Can you? I was going for contempt,” Ben joked, grinning. “Now let me pick up the remote so I can turn on the news. At least one of us should be an informed citizen.”

“Technically, you’re not a citizen.”

“Technically, all of your paperwork is fake,” Ben pointed out.

Klaus rolled his eyes and gave Ben the finger affectionately as he ducked into the kitchen, grabbing the phone just before it went to voicemail. “Hi.” 

“Klaus?” Lillian asked cautiously. 

“Who else?” he asked lightly. “What’s up? Did I forget to lock up after myself or something? I could have sworn I did but I can be an airhead when I’m tired.” Klaus glanced back at the living room where Ben was struggling to pick up the remote, his hand passing through it over and over again. Klaus sighed, giving up his childish grudge, and extended a tendril of power. 

Ben lunged as if he could surprise the remote into staying in his hand and seemed almost shocked when he managed to pick it up, giving a small shout of triumph. He turned to look at Klaus, beaming. 

Klaus smiled at him, any annoyance he’d felt evaporating at the sight of the pure excitement on his face. Ben never seemed to get tired of being solid, no matter how many times Klaus had managed to do it. 

“Klaus,” Lillian said, capturing his attention again. “Have you turned on the news?” There was something in her voice that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. 

“No. Not yet. Why? What happened?” He gripped the phone tighter, turning into himself, his shoulders curling down. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Everyone is fine. Or well, actually, no, not everyone.” She paused, seeming unsure of how to continue.

“Lillian?” Klaus asked, near panic. “What happened?”

“You haven’t heard from your family?”

“No.” Klaus felt the air slowly compress from his lungs. His family didn’t _do_ good news, so all that left was bad news. Very bad, if Lillian was calling. If she expected that he would have heard from the people he hadn’t seen in years, that his family would have willingly contacted him. 

So who was it? Allison? She was most likely to end up on the news, the only one of them who was still a major public figure. But Luther was still technically an Academy member. If he was Earth-bound again and went on a mission⏤ 

Lillian broke him from his spiraling thoughts. “Klaus, I don’t know how to tell you this, but⏤”

“Lillian, just tell me, please. I⏤”

“Klaus,” Ben said. His voice was quiet but it cut through the apartment like a knife. 

Reflexively, Klaus turned towards him. 

Ben had managed to turn on the tv and Klaus knew at once why Lillian had called. He felt his stomach drop out from under him. 

On the phone, Lillian was still speaking, “I thought you should hear from a friend. Klaus, your father is⏤”

“Dead,” he finished. 

He and Ben continued to stare at the tv where the headline, _Sir Reginald Hargreeves, Controversial Billionaire, Pronounced Dead_ scrolled lazily across the screen in bold letters. Their father stared out at them, cool and composed just as he always was. 

“Ben turned on the news,” Klaus explained, his voice sounding far away to his own ears.

“I’m… sorry,” Lillian said carefully.

“Don’t be,” Klaus told her before he could really think about it.

“Klaus⏤”

“He is⏤” Klaus stopped himself. “He was a terrible person. The world is better off today than it was yesterday.”

“He was still your father, it’s okay if you feel emotional,” Lillian said gently. 

“I don’t,” Klaus told her shortly. “I feel nothing.” 

That much was true at least, though Klaus wasn’t sure if he was simply in shock or if he really had no reaction at all to the news. Despite his father’s advanced age (not that Klaus knew how old he was exactly, Reginald had simply just been “old” for as long as he could remember) Klaus had never really thought about the day he would die. Maybe it was because Klaus had, for most of his life, expected to be survived by Reginald. Maybe it was because no child ever really was prepared for the day their parents leave them forever, regardless of how terrible those parents were. 

“That’s okay too,” Lillian told him kindly. “He hurt you. You don’t have to feel sad. Whatever you feel is okay.”

“I feel nothing,” Klaus repeated more firmly. He cleared his throat. “But, uh, I should probably call someone.” He realized the truth of that statement as the words left his lips. “Family, I mean. Just to, uh, make sure. Find out what happened exactly.” _Isn’t that what normal people did when their father died?_ he thought. Call _the rest of the family?_

“Of course,” Lillian said. Her voice was still so soft that Klaus almost wished he was upset so that it could make him feel better.

He just felt empty.

“I’ll let you go,” she continued. “Just remember that we are all here for you, okay, Klaus? Your friends are your family too. If you need us, we’re here.”

Klaus swallowed, suddenly choked up, not at the loss of Reginald, but at the steadfast support of those he was lucky enough to call friends. “Yeah,” he rasped. “Yeah. Thanks, Lillian. I, um⏤ yeah. Just thank you.”

“No need to thank me, honey. We love you. I’ll let everyone know to give you a bit of space, but I’m sure people will be checking in tomorrow. If that's okay?”

“That's fine. Great. Thank you, Lillian."

"Goodbye, Klaus. Love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too,” Klaus whispered, hanging up the phone. For a moment he just stood there, his right hand still wrapped around the receiver and his left braced against the wall. His shoulders were slumped, his head hanging low as he took several steadying breaths. 

In. 

And out.

In. 

And out.

“Klaus?” Ben asked. 

He startled, head shooting up. Ben had moved across the apartment to stand beside him at some point that Klaus had not noticed. 

“Dad’s dead,” Klaus said, his voice entirely flat. 

“Yeah,” Ben whispered. “I know.”

They stood in silence for a long minute. 

“Are you actually going to call someone?” Ben asked finally. 

Klaus stook himself out of his stupor. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat, straightening up and taking the phone down again. “I’m going to call…” He realized he no longer knew how to get in contact with any of his siblings. “I’m going to call the house. Make sure it’s true.”

“Right,” Ben nodded. "Makes sense.”

“Right,” Klaus echoed. On autopilot, he dialed the number he’d memorized as a six-year-old, the same as any other child would, one of the few shreds of normality he’d had in his youth. It wasn’t until he heard the ringing on the other end that it occurred to Klaus that the number could have changed since he left. 

However, before he had time to worry, there was a click of the receiver being picked up, and a familiar, though somewhat aged voice answered, “Hargreeves Manor, headquarters of the Umbrella Academy.”

“Pogo?”

There was a small intake of breath. 

“It’s me. Uh, Kl⏤”

“Master Klaus. Yes. I recognized you. I never forgot your voice.”

“Oh. Okay.” Klaus wasn’t sure how that made him feel so he pushed the thought down. “I, I saw,” he stammered instead. “The news, I mean. Is it⏤?” Damn it, Klaus wasn’t supposed to be feeling anything but all of a sudden it was hard to speak. 

“It’s true,” Pogo answered gravely. “Master Reginald is gone.”

“Oh,” Klaus breathed. “How?”

“A heart attack. He passed in his bed.”

“Okay,” Klaus said awkwardly, unsure of what else to do. He didn't know what he was supposed to say. What he was supposed to do. “Now what?” was all he managed to ask, reverting back to his childhood self for just a moment, turning toward Pogo for guidance when he was well and truly lost. 

“I am taking care of his affairs,” Pogo told him gravely. “Though he kept his paperwork in good order and he was quite clear about his final wishes so that makes it simple to manage. His funeral will be in three days. A private affair for the family, here at home.” 

“Oh,” Klaus said again, somewhat surprised. He wasn’t sure why, but the thought of a funeral hadn’t crossed his mind before that moment, much less the idea of going to one. It seemed unnecessary to hold such a thing. Funerals were something that traditionally was about grief. Klaus wasn’t sure how much of that Reginald’s passing would inspire. 

“I’m sure I can count on your presence, Master Klaus?” Pogo asked, with that same severity and calm expectation he’d used when Klaus was a child. 

On pure instinct, Klaus snapped, “Fuck no,” before slamming the phone back onto its hook. 

“Klaus?” Ben asked, his eyes wide and his hand hovering over his shoulder. 

Klaus sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes as rationality caught up to him. “We have to go to the funeral, don’t we?”

Ben took a shaking breath before answering. “Yeah. We do.”

“If to see for ourselves that the bastard is dead if nothing else,” Klaus agreed, gritting his teeth as he snatched the phone up again, redialing before he could lose the nerve. It only rang once.

“Master Klaus? Is that⏤?”

Klaus cut Pogo off. “I’ll come. The twenty-fourth right?”

“Yes. Service at three and please⏤”

“I’ll see you then.” Klaus moved to hang up again. He paused. “Bye,” he added, a grudging politeness. He hung up the phone for the second time before Pogo could respond. 

“You good?” Ben asked in the ensuing, ringing silence. 

“Fuck,” was all Klaus could manage.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Ben agreed. 

The apartment suddenly seemed much larger and colder than it had just minutes earlier.

In the living room, the news reporter droned on about the Umbrella Academy over old footage of Klaus and his siblings as young teenagers. On the coffee table, the noodles he’d meant to be his dinner slowly grew to room temperature.

Klaus blinked at them, then turned to his room instead, shutting the door behind him. 

He wasn’t hungry anymore.

***

He received the first call before eight the next morning.

“Klaus,” Lauren said before he could even say hello. “I just saw the news. How are you doing?”

He let out a slow stream of air, leaning against the wall by the phone while he considered how to answer. His free arm was folded across his chest, holding on to the opposite elbow, supporting some of the weight of the receiver that seemed impossibly heavy. “Okay,” Klaus finally settled on. 

“I can only imagine how complex this is for you,” Lauren said gently. “He was terrible but⏤”

“But he was terrible,” Klaus said a little shortly. “I’m glad he’s dead, really. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Klaus,” she said. “It’s okay to grieve him. It doesn’t make what he did to you less real.”

“I know!” Klaus snapped then immediately regretted it. “Sorry. I’m just tense. I didn’t mean to yell.” He dug his hand into his hair, tangling his fingers in his unmanaged curls. 

“I forgive you,” Lauren told him easily. “It’s a stressful time.”

“Yeah,” Klaus grudgingly agreed. “I feel so weird. I hated him, I _still_ hate him, but I just… I feel so strange? Like, it hasn’t really sunk in yet that he’s gone I don’t think. And I’m not sure how it’s going to hit me when it does fully register. I feel fine right now. Or maybe I just feel numb. I don’t know. I just⏤ I wasn’t expecting to deal with this.”

“No one ever really expects someone to die, much less a parent. He was a big part of your life. Not a good part, but a significant part regardless. It makes sense it would affect you.”

“I think part of why it’s so hard for me to adjust is that I just expect him to come find me at any moment. Death is different for me. Normal people know for sure that they will never see someone again until, _maybe,_ at most, when they themselves finally kick the bucket. I don’t know that. I’ve been asking myself almost constantly if he is still here somewhere, a bodiless spirit floating around and being _indigent_ at his situation.”

“Has he tried to contact you?” Lauren asked anxiously. 

“No. I’ve really been attuned to the spirit world since I heard, checking to make sure he isn’t hovering around.”

“And if he is?” 

Klaus could hear the tension in her voice. “I will do my best to banish him.”

On the other coast, far too far away to do anything that she felt would actually help, Lauren breathed out in relief. “You’re not going to summon him?” she clarified. 

“No,” Klaus said firmly. “I don’t have any need to talk to him again, much less by using my powers that he abused. If he moved On then it doesn’t matter, but if he’s hanging around, thinking that I’ll let him hang off of me like a parasite⏤ no offense Ben, I love you⏤ then he’s even more of an arrogant prick than I thought.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re establishing boundaries,” Lauren said, her smile carrying through the telephone wires. “Very healthy. Noah would be proud.”

“I’ll make sure to tell him about it,” Klaus laughed. “I’m going in tomorrow to talk to him.”

“Good,” Lauren nodded. “You should seek out extra support in times like these.”

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure I’d still end up in his office even if I didn’t schedule an appointment,” Klaus laughed. “Lillian would pick me up and carry me there if I didn’t.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second.”

They both laughed, some of the tension of the situation forgotten. After a lull, Klaus admitted, “I’m going to the funeral.”

“Really?” Lauren asked, her voice level. 

“Yeah. I think I need to. For my own sake.” He sighed. “And to see my siblings again.”

“Oh wow.” Lauren knew very well how significant that was. “Do you feel ready for that?”

“No,” Klaus answered honestly. “But it’s time. Don’t worry, I’ll talk it over with Noah.”

“Good. Take care of yourself, okay, Klaus?”

“Only if you take care of yourself,” he said easily. 

“Deal.”

They spoke for a little longer about easy, everyday things; Lauren’s job, Klaus’s job, the difference in the weather between where they lived, the tv show they were watching together. By the end of it, Klaus was feeling something close to normal again, warmed by the love and affection of the person who had managed to stay his best friend, even when they were nearly three-thousand miles apart. 

Klaus hung up with a smile on his face. 

  
  


Talking with Lauren settled Klaus enough that he got through the half-dozen other calls he received that day with as well as could be expected under the circumstances, which meant he just managed to hang on. Of course, everyone's concern and support was well-intentioned, but it bordered on overwhelming at times, especially considering the complicated nature of Klaus's relationship with his father. And as much as he was bolstered by his talk with Lauren, by the end of the day Klaus felt his nerves and composure fray, and anxiety had built up around all of his convictions.

It was after he'd said goodbye to his last caller of the day, well after nine that night, that Klaus, with trepidation strung heavy across his shoulders, asked Ben if he minded Klaus's decision not to summon Reginald. 

Ben paused and considered it for a moment before shaking his head. “No. It’s up to you to decide.”

“You don’t think it’s wrong?” Klaus asked, fidgeting with his bracelets, his scars stinging with phantom pain. “I know how lonely it is to be stuck here without anyone to talk to and⏤”

“If anyone deserves that brand of hell,” Ben said firmly, “it’s him.”

Klaus gave him a tentative smile. “Thanks, Ben.”

“I didn’t say it for you,” Ben told him. “It’s just true.”

Relieved and comforted once more, Klaus dropped down next to Ben on the couch. Offering up a shred of power, he made him solid enough that Klaus could lay his head on Ben’s shoulder. 

They sat together quietly in their home for a long time.

***

Noah sat back in his chair, his voice, as always, calm and steady as he asked, “How are you going to manage your mental health during this visit?”

“I’m going to calmly but firmly ask for the respect I deserve and, if needed, I will call a friend to talk through my emotions with them,” Klaus said slowly as if trying to remember a script. 

Noah smiled gently, nodding. “Good. What else?”

Klaus thought. “I’m… going to respect my limits?”

“Good. And set boundaries,” Noah reminded him.

“Yes. Boundaries.”

“Have you talked to any of your siblings yet?”

“No. I don’t really have direct contact info for any of them and they don’t have any way to reach me. We’ll just see each other there I guess.” 

“Hmm,” Noah hummed. “Nothing to be done about that I suppose. You’re sure you won’t be overwhelmed by seeing them all at once like that?”

“Am I sure _ _?_ _No,” Klaus answered truthfully. “But I won’t be alone.” He gave a small smile to Ben who hovered nervously in the corner. “I have Ben and I have you and I have my friends.”

Something in the set of Noah’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m glad to hear you say that, Klaus,” he said with a small smile. “I think that your mindset is about as healthy as it can be under the circumstances and I feel okay with you going to the funeral as planned. Just remember to use your resources, alright?”

Klaus put his right hand over his heart and raised his left in a solemn vow. “Promise.”

Ben was quiet on the trip home, seeming lost in his own thoughts. Klaus didn’t mind, too busy with his own musings to pay much attention. He actually appreciated the silence for once, though such generally went against his nature. It _was_ an unprecedented time. However, the quiet ended almost as soon as he closed the apartment door behind him.

“I’ve been thinking⏤ ”

“Never a good sign,” Klaus quipped. 

Ignoring him, Ben continued, “If you’re going home, we need to lay some ground rules.”

“One,” Klaus countered calmly, “this apartment is home. _That_ is the Academy. And two, I just talked this over with Noah. And third, you were the one who said that I had to go see the old man buried.”

“Okay, one, I agreed that you had to go to the funeral. And two, you talked over basic emotional health with Noah, which is good, but there is stuff left unaddressed. I’m talking about direct action.”

“Ben, do we really need to talk about this now?”

“Yes.”

Klaus glanced at him, asking _Seriously?_ with a silent frown.

Ben raised his eyebrows. _Seriously._ “If you don’t agree then I’m not coming.”

“You’re not coming?” Klaus asked incredulously. 

“You know that I have the option to ignore your summoning. If you don’t agree to this, then I cannot support you going back there. I will refuse to participate.”

Klaus sighed. “Okay, drama queen. Fine. What are your ground rules?”

“The only way I’m going is if you agree to tell them the truth,” Ben said firmly, his arms crossed in front of himself.

“The truth about what?”

“Klaus.”

He slumped. “Okay. Fine. I know what you mean.”

“And you’ll tell them?”

“That I’m sober?”

“Yes.”

Klaus took a pause but eventually gave the grudging answer. “Yes.” It was time. 

“Good.” Ben smiled, clearly relieved. “Then I support this.”

“Can’t promise they’re going to believe me,” Klaus warned. 

“Well if they don’t, then I’ll just tell them,” Ben said easily. “They won’t be able to deny that.”

Klaus’s face fell. “What if I can’t?” he whispered.

“Can’t what? Summon me?”

Klaus nodded.

“You’ve been much more consistent lately. You’ll be able to do it,” Ben said easily.

“But what if I choke? I choked last time. I don’t do well under pressure, at least when they’re concerned.”

“Klaus,” Ben said, kindly but firmly. “I know you’ll be fine. I believe in you, okay?”

Klaus softened. “Thanks, Benny,” he said quietly. 

“Anytime,” Ben told him easily, throwing himself down on the couch, burying his face in his arm as he grinned. “I can’t believe I’m going to see them again,” he whispered, almost to himself. 

Unease that Klaus couldn’t name slid down his back to wrap its thin hand around his spine. 

***

“Are you sure you’re okay to go alone?” Daniel asked as he placed a folded sweater into Klaus’s bag for him. 

“Yeah. And like I told Noah, I won’t be alone. Ben will be there.” 

Ben smiled, giving a thumbs up from where he perched on the dresser. 

“Right,” Daniel said smiling softly at the shadowed form, a faint impression that flickered in and out of focus. “But it wouldn’t hurt to have someone else there too. Just in case.” He gave Klaus a meaningful look. 

“Thank you,” Klaus said genuinely, tossing his cosmetics bag into his luggage. “I appreciate it. Really. But I’ll be fine. It’s going to be one night. I’ll be home by lunch. Besides, it’s supposed to be Hargreeves only. And I doubt you want to be there for the shit show.”

“You think it's going to be that rough?"

“Honestly? I don’t know. It’s been… a long time. I mean, the last time we were all together things were, uh, bad. To say the least. But we’re all adults now and hopefully separated enough from childhood to act in a reasonable manner. Besides. I was always the fuck up of the family. If I’m somewhat together, the rest of them should be more than fine.”

“Then there is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to come.”

Klaus smiled. “You’re a smart cookie.”

Daniel looked self-satisfied. 

“But you’re still not coming,” Klaus continued. 

Daniel’s face fell. “Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

“That’s a terrible reason.”

“Because,” Klaus sighed, growing more serious. “The Academy is not a nice place. It carries a lot of memories. A lot of history. A lot of ghosts⏤ literal and metaphorical. You don’t want to be there.”

“If that’s true, I don’t want you there alone. Or,” Daniel glanced at Ben again. “I want you there with as much support as possible.”

Klaus softened, rubbing at his chest absent-mindedly while his heart gave a small pang. Still, after so much time, he never quite got used to people caring about him. “Thank you. Really. But I think this is something I need to do alone. Or I should say, I need to do it just as a Hargreeves. I’ve been avoiding my family for too long. It’s time to talk to them. I think it has been time for a long while. I just couldn’t get up the nerve to do it. Now I’m out of excuses. It’s important to me that I do this.”

“But you’re not alone anymore. You have a new family.”

Klaus melted. “I know I do. And I know I have somewhere to come home to if it goes wrong. But tomorrow I have to face the family just as Klaus. Ben will be there and that will be enough. If things go well, well hey, I’ll introduce my old family to my new family. I think Allison would really like you.” He smiled softly at Daniel. “And I swear, Diego is a secret goth. The black? The leather? The knives? The angst? He’s emo at heart, he just won't admit it.”

Daniel cracked a small smile. “Okay. Fine. Just call. Okay? If you need it?”

“Promise.” Klaus extended a pinky finger. 

Daniel ignored it and stepped forward to hug Klaus roughly. He still did that sometimes, hug as if he needed to do it quickly or he’d be denied. As if he had to capture Klaus, as if Klaus wasn’t ready to hold him as long and tight and often as he needed it. 

Before he could pull away in embarrassment, Klaus hugged him back, firm but gentle. 

“I love you,” Daniel muttered against his chest.

“Love you too, kiddo.”

“I’m an adult,” Daniel grumbled with no anger in his voice. 

“You’re younger than me,” Klaus laughed. “Therefore, you will always be a kiddo.”

"I’m going to call to check in on you,” Daniel warned him. “I have that phone number memorized and will be calling at nine sharp. If you don’t pick up or call back within an hour, the entire rehab group is going to storm the funeral. Lillian will lead the charge. She’s tiny, but I’ve seen her arms. She’s ripped. Powers or not, she could take any one of your siblings.”

Klaus laughed. “The mental image of that is almost enough for me to ignore you on purpose. But I won’t,” he clarified quickly. 

Daniel drew back. “It’s not too late to ask us to come.”

Klaus snorted. “Good try. But like I said, I need to do this.”

“Fine. You’re a grown-up. You can make decisions for yourself. Even if I think they’re dumbass decisions.”

“Thanks, kid,” Klaus said flatly. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.” He ruffled Daniel’s carefully mussed hair in affection, his smirk betraying his amusement. 

Daniel made a show of being annoyed as he fixed it, but his laugh gave him away just as surely as Klaus’s did. 

***

The journey across the city took roughly fifteen minutes with traffic being moderately heavy, not a long trip by any means, but it was more than enough time for an iron ball of dread to form in Klaus’s stomach, which was not at all relieved when he finally arrived at his destination. 

Looking up at the Academy, just as grey and looming as it was in his memory, Klaus regretted for a moment that he’d denied the many offers his friends had made to come with him. 

But the thought of his friends, who had been through so much themselves and were just now fully blossoming into the beautiful, healthy, happy people they were meant to be, being pulled down into that hellhole made Klaus feel physically ill. No one deserved to be in the Academy. Not even for an afternoon. Not even when Reginald was dead. Because even if he was gone, even if Klaus never had to face him again, the scar that he had left on his children and on that place was so deep it would never fully heal, forever leaving a thin white line of raised tissue through the entirety of his children’s lives. A perfect accessory to match those that had been left on their bodies. 

Klaus had outlived him, but he knew that until the day he died, Reginald’s mark would never wash off. And in that way, his father had already won long before Klaus had even begun to fight the battle.

But maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, Klaus tried to tell himself, just so that he would have the ability to walk inside. It had been years since any of them had been stuck there. (Though Klaus wasn’t sure if being alone the moon was better in Luther’s case.) The point was, things were different now. Things _had_ to be better this time. If Klaus, of all people, was better, then the others had to be better too. 

Klaus tightened his hand on his shoulder strap, clutching his overnight bag tightly. 

“You ready?” Ben asked, looking up at the Academy with the same apprehension Klaus felt. 

“As I’ll ever be.”

Setting his jaw, Klaus pushed the gate open and started up the steps towards the place from which his darkest nightmares stemmed.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! Not a lot of plot covered this chapter, but hopefully, you have had a chance to settle in and get adjusted to our world again. Things will pick up the pace (and wordcount) quickly from here...
> 
> Many thanks to all of you for reading and extra thanks to all those who hyped me up between the ending of Anabasis and the start of this fic. You are so appreciated and loved you can't even imagine. 
> 
> If anyone would be so so kind as to comment on this chapter, I will add you to my list of people who I will forever adore. 
> 
> Thank you all,  
> [ Aye of Newt](https://aye-of-newt.tumblr.com/)


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